Parking brake lever

Abstract

The present invention relates to a parking brake lever that is operated by a hand. The parking brake lever has a supporting member fixed to a vehicle frame and which is provided with ratchet portion, and an oscillating member, which oscillates with respect to the supporting member between braking position and releasing position. A push button is provided in one end of the oscillating member. A pawl and a connecting member are operatively interposed between the push button and ratchet portion. The connecting member includes a flexible cable. According to the present invention, even if the push button is inadvertently pressed, the parking brake does not release unless the oscillating member is pulled upwardly. Thus, accident probability caused from inadvertent release of a parking brake is reduced.

1. A parking brake lever of a vehicle, comprising:
 a supporting member adapted to be fixed to a frame of the vehicle and provided with a ratchet portion;  
 an oscillating member mounted on the supporting member and oscillatable between a braked position and a released position;  
 a push button provided in one end of said oscillating member;  
 a pawl being rotatable with respect to said oscillating member and engagable with said ratchet portion while said oscillating member is in the braked position, thereby preventing said oscillating member from oscillating to the released position; and  
 a connecting member extending between said push button and said pawl and transmitting a pressing force from said push button to rotating force of said pawl, wherein at least a portion of said connecting member includes a flexible cable;  
 wherein said flexible cable has a characteristic of a material that can transmit the pressing force of the push button to the pawl so as to rotate the pawl when the oscillating member is slightly pulled upward from its braking position and that cannot transmit the pressing force of the push button to the pawl when the oscillating member is not pulled upward from the braking position.  
 
   
   
     2. The parking brake lever of  claim 1 , wherein said connecting member except the flexible cable comprises a substantially rigid rod. 
   
   
     3. The parking brake lever of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of said flexible cables are provided. 
   
   
     4. The parking brake lever of  claim 1 , wherein said oscillating member is provided with a protrusion protruding within the oscillating member and, further comprising a resilient member whose one end is fixed in said push button and the other end engages with said protrusion. 
   
   
     5. A parking brake lever, comprising:
 an oscillating member for actuating a braking system, said member moveable between a released position, a braked position and a releasable position; and  
 a locking and releasing mechanism cooperating with said oscillating member such that said oscillating member may be locked in the braked position and released after movement to the releasable position, said mechanism including a deflectable element configured and dimensioned to absorb forces applied to said mechanism in the braked position thereby preventing release directly from the braked position;  
 wherein said locking and releasing mechanism comprises;  
 a ratchet portion adapted to be secured to a frame of a vehicle;  
 a pawl pivotably mounted on the oscillating member and engageable with said ratchet portion to lock the oscillating member in the braked position;  
 a release member mounted on the oscillating member in a driver-accessible location; and  
 a linkage operatively connecting said release member and said pawl for transmitting a releasing force from said release member to said pawl, said linkage including said deflectable element; and  
 wherein said deflectable element is disposed between said release member and said pawl in said linkage.  
 
   
   
     6. The parking brake lever of  claim 5 , wherein said release member comprises a push button disposed at an end of said oscillating member.